“He’d position most of us in a line at the edge of the camp center, facing the active community branch. Anyone that jumped out of their cabin to investigate our noise would experience a steel-jacketed aneurysm.”

“What if they all came out?” asked Devin.

“A massacre,” said Marnie, not entirely believing this idea hadn’t already crossed Rich’s mind.

“We’d be acting in self-defense,” said Rich. “And in the interest of the United States.”

He had thought of it. Had she just stumbled on some kind of soft coup, unintentionally exposed by Jared’s careless joke?

“We’re not going that route,” said Devin. “I’m not saying we don’t set up security when we start poking around the buildings, but we won’t be holding the line if we stir up a hornet’s nest. We defend ourselves according to the ROE, as we retreat to the boats.”

“That’s the plan,” said Rich.

“It better be,” said Marnie.

Rich looked as though he wanted to get the last word in but thought better of it. Her earpiece crackled.

“This is Scott. We’ve compared notes. The outer rows have thirty to thirty-five cabins. It’s impossible to get an exact count from here. The middle is harder to determine because of the bathhouses, but I’d say around twenty-five.”

“Anyone good with math?” said Rich.

Devin was ready with an answer. “Three hundred and forty cabins. Assuming each cabin houses one family, which looks to be the case, but needs to be confirmed—we’re looking at close to seven hundred second-generation sleepers instead of the one hundred and forty-six she identified. Assuming a twenty-five percent attrition rate, which is roughly what she calculated, we’re looking at around six hundred sleepers embedded in US society instead of one hundred and nine.”

Rich and Devin were right. They had to do more than take pictures. The stakes were too high.

“What would Karl do?” she said, turning a few heads. “Without killing every man, woman, and child in the camp?”

“That’s the trick here,” said Rich. “In this business, sometimes you pull a tiger out of the hat instead of a bunny.”

“Then we’ll have to feel around inside the hat for a while before the big show,” said Marnie. “Sit on the place until we’re certain we can investigate the buildings without pulling out a tiger.”

“WWMD,” said Rich.

“Exactly,” she said.

What would Marnie do?

CHAPTER 45

CHAPTER 45